Written in the Stars
by odishon
Summary: UPDATED! COMPLETED!
1. Surf's Up

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.**_

_**Author's Note: This is set a bit after "Dance It Up." It is now summer vacation – DIU took place in May/June.**_

* * *

"_Well, my pet, the human proved useless to our cause," a raspy voice complained. A claw-like hand drummed rhythmlessly on the edge of a table. A hooded figure turned around towards the doorway._

"_I'll just have to take matters into my own hands." The individual croaked at the shadow looming there. There was no answer save for the faint purring of gears and glowing red eyes…_

XxXxXxXxX

"Alright, surf's up!" Kevin jubilantly popped the back of his trunk and started pulling out a surfboard.

"Wait a minute there, surfer boy," Gwen grabbed his arm. "We didn't come here for fun."

"That's right," Ben said coming round from the other side of the car. "We came to investigate reports of people vanishing out at sea."

"Sounds like a job for the coastguard," Kevin shrugged.

"They couldn't find anything," Gwen said. "And anyway witness said there were strange gurgling noises and a whirlpool that occurred along with the disappearance."

"Natural phenomenon or maybe someone pulled a plug?" Kevin joked.

Screams from the beach drew the teens' attentions. A void appeared to open in the ocean, sucking down everything into its abyss.

"You can't say _that_ is natural," Ben called over his shoulder as he and Gwen raced towards the water. Kevin slammed the back of his car shut and chased after them.

When the reached the water's edge, however, the sea had returned to normal.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know," Ben said turning around. Catching sight of something over Kevin's shoulder, he broke into a smile.

"What?" Kevin looked over his shoulder for what Ben was grinning at.

"Come on." Ben took off again, not bothering to wait for the other two.


	2. Author’s Note

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I apologize for the pathetically short chapter. I'm currently bogged down getting ready for school, as I'm sure many other people are. I will not be updating for a while. Sorry.**_


	3. All the Fish in the Sea

_Ben took off again, not bothering to wait for the other two._

* * *

"Ben! Wait up!" Gwen called hurrying after him. Ben didn't sway from his course, however.

"Tennyson, where the heck are you going?"

"Here." He stopped directly in front of a tiny pier and shack. A hanging sign read _'Moe's Scuba Rentals'_ across the front door.

"After all," he looked at them with a very self-satisfied expression. "_Something_ had to cause that whirlpool. We're going to investigate it."

Kevin didn't look so impressed.

"Ben, do you even know how to scuba dive?" Gwen asked frowning.

"There was that time in the lake when we were searching for the Krakken," Ben recalled the incident with Captain Shaw. Of course he'd mostly been Ripjaws at the time and it'd been several years ago, he might be a little rusty. Better not mention that.

"A-and I've done some snorkeling…" he hastily offered in addition. "Same basic idea, right?"

Gwen and Kevin exchanged looks.

"Well, I've got no idea about how to do either," said Kevin.

"That's okay," Ben assured him. "You can steer the boat."

"Boat?"

"Sure. We can't exactly swim all the way out there and back with heavy tanks on."

"This is starting to sound expensive…" Kevin muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, but'll be worth it." Ben looked at them hopefully. The other two contemplated it for a minute.

"Well, it's not like we've got any better idea," Gwen sighed. Ben's face lit up.

"Let's do it."

XxXxXxXxX

"Why do I always end up paying for these things?" griped Kevin, cruising along from the back of a small motorboat.

"You were the only one with any cash on you," Gwen pointed out, tugging on a flipper. "And it's not like we're not going to pay you back."

"Yeah, you two better," grumbled Kevin.

"Hey, Kevin, slow down," Ben called from the bow. "I think this is about where that whirlpool started." Kevin cut the power to the engine. They slowly drifted to a halt. Ben slowly dropped down an anchor.

"Okay, then," he turned back towards Kevin. "Will you pass me that float?" Kevin handed over a buoy to Ben, which he tossed out to mark to passing boats that, shortly, there would be divers. With a grunt, Ben muscled his way into his gear.

"Remember to breathe through your mouth," Ben reminded his cousin, once he finished.

"I know, Ben. I did this last break with my parents when we went on that Caribbean cruise," Gwen retorted. She was all set to dive.

"Right." He pulled down his mask. "Okay let's go." Giving Kevin a thumbs-up, he and Gwen flipped over the side of the boat.

"Now what am I suppose to do?" Kevin lamented to the empty boat.

XxXxX

Once underwater, Ben adjusted his mouthpiece better and took in a deep lungful of air. Spotting Gwen, he gestured to her that they should begin their search in an outward-spiral pattern. Gwen nodded her agreement. As they swam out, Ben noticed, with some apprehension, that the sea was strangely empty of all animal activity.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when something brushed against his arm. He spun around to see Gwen waving at him and pointed down. Looking towards where she motioned, Ben eyes widened at the sight before him. Protruding out of the ocean floor was a silver dome with a fissure down the middle of it. Swimming closer he noticed something engraved on the metal plate. It was an eye symbol that looked vaguely familiar…

XxXxX

Floating up on the surface, Kevin was bored. He felt like he'd been waiting hours for them to come up.

"What's taking them so long?" He sighed to himself, stretching back across one of the seats in the boat. He scanned the horizon. A flash of silver by the coastal rock-bed caught the corner of his eye.

"Huh?" He squinted trying to get a better look. "What was that?"

Whatever it was seemed to have vanished. Disappointed, Kevin sat back down and folding his arms behind his head, resumed his prior position.

Suddenly, he was flying through the air and plunged deep into the water. He struggled to reach the surface again and froze. Something with huge, open jaws waiting for him.

XxXxX

Ben saw a huge dark shape swim past him. Its wake propelled him backwards with such force he sailed into Gwen. Looking around wildly for the mysterious creature, he spotted it speeding upward in route to hit the underside of their small rented vessel head-on.

Ben saw bottom of the boat leave the water completely and Kevin submerge. The dark mass advanced towards him.

"Kevin!" A gurgled cry came from Gwen.

Ben yanked off his mask and let it fall to the ocean floor. Adjusting the Omnitrix, he hit it with out delay.

"Jetray!" The aerophibian made his appearance. Speeding to Kevin's assistance, Ben fired several neuroshock blasts at it, which bounced off harmlessly.

"Huh?" He stopped short taking in the appearance of the beast. A massive fish with mechanical glowing red eyes turned to glare at him before abandoning its pursuit of Kevin and swam off, as if frightened. Kevin frantically clawed his way up to the surface. Ben looped around to check on his cousin.

"I wonder what that was about," he gargled in Jetray's nasally voice to Gwen while she readjusted her mouthpiece. Suddenly her eyes widen in alarm. He twisted his head around just in time to see the large silvery fish ram into him.

"_Whoa!_" Ben was sent tumbling tail over antenna bouncing along its metal back.

"Ow." He rubbed his sore head with one clawed hand. "Uh-oh." The swimming contraption smashed into him yet again. He sent a few fruitless neuroshock blasts after it. The third time it circled around, Ben was ready for it. He just managed to swoop out of the way of its charge.

_Okay, think, Ben. Think!_ he commanded himself. This thing was obviously made of some sort of alien technology. He couldn't use his neuroshock attacks against this enemy. None of his other aliens really were equipped to fight underwater. _What else can I do?_ he racked his brains frantically.

The sounds of battle drew his attention away from his personal dilemma. Gwen had a mana ball in each hand and was currently blasting the marine machinery for all she was worth. An idea popped into his mind.

"Gwen, back off for a second!" he called to her swimming at top speed towards them. She barely swam out of his way in time when he whizzed between her and the aquatic metal device. He zipped around and around about it, churning the water as he went. Increasing his pace even more, if possible, Jetray created a whirlpool about the fish that sent it spinning into a dizzy frenzy.

"Ha!" he cried in triumph, ending his whirlpool as the oceanic mechanism went flying. Droopily, it sunk down to the ocean floor.

Satisfied that the enemy was safely beaten, Ben approached it. The fish lay motionless. Snatching up the scuba equipment he dropped beforehand, he gave the lifeless machine one final look. Angry red eyes snapped open.


	4. Crab Cakes

_Angry red eyes snapped open._

* * *

"Ulp!" Ben dropped his gear and paddled backwards. The monstrous flippered machine shook itself out of a daze and zoomed past him. It began to mimic Jetray's earlier movements. Around it circled, covering a much wider circumference sucking everything in sight into its spiral. Now he knew what had caused that giant void in the sea that afternoon. Spinning around in the whirlpool's hold he caught sight of Gwen flaying around as well Kevin, who'd been treading water above the battle for some time now, was currently struggling to breathe under several feet of ocean.

He didn't dare risk shooting off anymore neuroshock blasts for fear of hitting Gwen and Kevin. He was helpless. He couldn't do anything without endangering his teammates. Two thick ropes of purple mana shot out coiling themselves around the metal fish. It stopped swimming and flayed futilely, trying to break free.

Ben looked over to see his cousin's brow knitted in concentration as she tightened her gripe on the motorized creature. With one great heave, Gwen threw the netted contraption up and out of the water to land on the beach. People yelled, scrambling away from it. The three teens quickly surfaced.

"Blagh." Kevin coughed out a mouthful of water.

The giant metal beast flopped helplessly on shore and then exploded.

"That's… not good," Ben stated very slowly.

"Yeah." Kevin agreed, still trying to spit the salty taste from his mouth. "Let's head back."

Gwen and Ben flipped over the boat. They all aided in bailing most of the water out, before loading in and headed towards shore.

XxXxXxXxX

"Now what?" Ben asked. They'd just finished apologizing to Moe about the damages and Kevin unhappily paid for the lost equipment.

"Get a job so you can start paying me back, Tennyson," growled Kevin. "I seriously doubt you've got the money you owe me just laying around."

"Never mind that," Gwen dismissed. "Where did that metal fish come from?"

"Not sure," said Kevin. "But I did see something by those rocks over there just before it showed." Ben looked towards where Kevin pointed. A dark, stony peninsula leaned out traitorously over at the opposite end of the beach. The water seemed murkier and rougher out there. The surf broke hard against the narrow neck of land spend off a cloud of sea mist around the rocks. In Ben's opinion, it looked like something out of a horror film.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Gwen declared with false cheer. "Let's go check it out."

XxXxXxXxX

The pleasantly warm day ended out on the rough, narrow strip of land. Wind whipped about the teens, threatening to topple them. Ben shivered slightly in the sea-spray. He wondered if they'd even be able to spot some kind of clue in these conditions.

"Over here!" called Kevin, waving to the cousins. Ben and Gwen approached him to see he was standing in front of the entrance to a deep, black tunnel sunk into the ground.

"Pretty dark in there," Ben observed. "Anyone have a flashlight?" Gwen held up her arm like a torch and a purple beam enveloped her hand.

"Ladies first," Kevin offered her a mock bow. Gwen returned his quip with a smirk and led the way.

The cave proved to be a tunnel with long twisted path. Slimy algae sides made it impossible to balance against and the heroes lost their footings more then once on the slick floors. Walking through the winding carven, Ben had the oddest sensation of déjà vu that he couldn't quite place. Gwen stopped suddenly causing Ben and Kevin to bump into her.

"Hey!" Ben protested at the abrupt halt.

"Did you guys hear something?"

"Hear what?" asked Kevin.

"Shhh! Listen." Gwen waved them into silence. Straining to hear over the surf, Ben heard a faint tinkling like the sound of thousands metal pins being dropped.

"What _is_ that?" They rounded the next bend the noise drawing nearer. Dozens of small red lights glowed before them. The three teens automatically took a step back.

"What the-?"

Illuminated by the purple light, an army of metallic crabs advanced. Gwen flung an energy shield between them and the progressing arthropods. It had no effect on crabs; they seemed to melt right through it.

The invertebrates shuffled forwards, appendages clicking menacingly. They backed the three heroes up against the rock walls. Ben realized with horror at just how many crabs there were marching towards them. They'd be crushed.

"Which one? Which one?" he muttered to himself rotating the Omnitrix from alien to alien. These crabs appeared to be made of the same material as the giant robotic fish they'd just fought. Nothing had penetrated its hide. What could he do?

Kevin grabbed hold of one of the crustaceans at his feet, absorbing its metal shell and attempted to smash as many as he could. However, it was too much for them to handle. Hundreds of little bodies piled up on top of the struggling teens. Ben pressed down on the Omnitrix as pincers covered them completely.

"Echo! Ech-echo! Echo!" Several duplicates of the small alien burst forth from under the masses its voice overlapping itself repeatedly.

Bounding about over the shinny exoskeletons, Echo Echo released sonic sound waves blasts upon the mound of crabs. Emitting a high-pitched squeal, each crab hit flipped onto its back and convulsed violently. Small electrical sparks flew off their twitching bodies and ceased with a mechanical burning stench and puff of black smoke.

"You guys okay?" Ben asked as Echo-Echo many bodies merged together to become one.

"Yeah, just let me get rid of this ringing in my head." Gwen rubbed her temples, brow furrowed. "Of all your aliens why did you have to choose _that_ one?"

"It was a stretch but I'd hope that the vibrations of sound waves would rattle its gears," Ben explained apologetically.

"Hey, guys," called Kevin. "You might wanna get over here!"

* * *

**_More coming soon._**


	5. Water Rush

"_Hey, guys," called Kevin. "You might wanna get over here!"

* * *

_

Curiously, the two cousins peeked over their friend's broad shoulders. What they saw rendered them speechless. Gwen's mouth formed a soundless "oh" of surprise. Ben felt his eyebrows disappear into his hairline.

"Well… this looks familiar." He took in the scene before him. An emerald glow illuminated a number of unconscious people lined up, stretched out on metal slabs. Each person was fastened to a strangely shaped helmet with wires coming out of it. At the far end of the chamber, Ben recognized a wired gadget Kevin had once identified as an energy modulator.

"This– this is just like at Vortex," Gwen referred to the nightclub that had burned down a few months earlier.

"Yeah… almost. This is different," Kevin stepped forwards to point at the energy modulator.

"How?" Ben asked. The device looked identical to him.

"Well, these weren't there before." He gestured at a jumble of buttons and knobs Ben couldn't categorize.

"I'll take your word for it." He sighed and glanced back at the slumbering rows. "Any idea how to wake them up?" Ben looked towards his teammates hopefully.

"Actually, I do," Kevin volunteered. "These symbols here are similar to the Scalpasc System dialect. I picked up a bit out there."

"Oh."

"If I just do this…" He jabbed at some buttons. "…And then this here…" Suddenly the machine let out a loud processing tone. The head coverings released with a hiss of pressure. "Hey, presto!"

There was a low collective moan. Ben turned watch the comatose people stir and awaken. The three teens hurried towards them.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" asked Gwen, helping up a middle-aged woman. Kevin pulled an elderly man to his feet.

"Is everyone okay?" Ben called out as he guided a little girl to her father. There was a general murmur of agreement. "Okay then. I'm sure you've all got questions to as how you got here but…" He paused as the ground beneath his feet rumbled.

"What is that?" Gwen asked.

**Pop! Pop! Pop!** Stones cracked and burst forth as salt water rapidly spurted into the chamber.

"RUN!" Kevin yelled. People screamed and dashed towards the only exit. The three heroes followed closely behind.

Racing out of the flooding tunnel, Ben mused to himself how this could have happened. _Had they been watched… Probably not. No safe way to get a camera in there without risk of water damage. Did someone step on a trip-wire…_

"The vibrations from Echo-Echo must have loosened the rocks," he cried out in sudden realization.

"Really not helpful now, Ben," Gwen shouted at him.

A large part of the stone ceiling fell just behind him causing some water to splash on the back of his pants legs. Ben ran a little faster.

Then they were outside. They were safe. Ben glanced over his shoulder back at the watery deathtrap they'd just escaped. Water burst forth the narrow entrance with the force of a fire-hose aimed straight for them. The crowd in back of him screamed.

Gwen leaped in front of the salty rush creating a curved mana-shield to funnel the water harmlessly away. Everyone was safe. Ben let out a breathe of relief. He stepped forwards.

"Excuse me," Ben pitched his voice to carry out over the crowd. "Can anyone tell us what happened? How you got here? Who took you?"

Everyone gazed blankly at each other and then back at him. A few people shook their heads sadly admitting defeat to their rescuers.

Ben sighed trying not to show the disappointment he felt on his face. After all, it wasn't their faults they couldn't remember anything.

"Thank you, anyway," he called out. "I'm sure you've all got things to do, so you can be on your way." He made a little shooing motion. Slowly, the throng wandered off in a daze.

"You think that's a good idea?" Kevin asked. "They seem pretty out of it."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Gwen said. "I'm more worried about whoever is doing this." She turned towards them. "Any thoughts?"

"Uhh…" Ben racked his brain for something intelligent to say. He was suddenly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. He tried to think of a tactful way to tell Gwen he really needed a break just now.

"Yeah. I'm hungry." Kevin rubbed his stomach. Ben smiled slightly. _Trust Kevin to be direct_.

"Kevin!" Gwen exclaimed disbelievingly.

"What?" He spread his hand innocuously. "I'll think better on a full stomach." She glared furiously at him.

"Actually, Gwen, I could go for some food, too," Ben admitted sheepishly.

"Hotdogs?" Kevin asked.

"Hotdogs," Ben agreed heartily. They headed in the direction of the vendors on the boardwalk.

"Boys!" Gwen threw up her hands in disgust before trailing after them.

XxXxXxXxX

Despite her grumbling, Gwen purchased a soda at the snack-stand while Kevin and Ben enthusiastically pointed out the toppings they wanted for their hotdogs. They walked along the boardwalk discussing the day's events.

"Let's see… so far a humongous metal fish tried to drown us, then thousands of metal crabs attacked us…" Ben ducked as a large white bird swooped down on him, trying to snatch his hotdog. "…And now the seagulls… Anyone seeing a pattern here?"

"We've got the worst run of luck ever?" Kevin offered biting into his own hotdog.

"Pattern… yes…" Gwen mused under her breath.

"Huh?" Ben turned towards her.

"Hold on a minute, I'll be right back." She shoved her drink into Kevin's hand and took off.

"Hey, wait!" Gwen had already vanished.

"What was that about?" Kevin asked.

"No idea…" Ben scanned the crowded streets for his cousin. Just then, he spotted Gwen was hurrying over to them with a rolled up newspaper clutched in one hand.

"The idea just hit me…" she frantically leafed through the paper. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before…"

"Think of what?" Ben was utterly confused.

"Hey, wait, you're throwing out the sports section?" Kevin objected as Gwen continued to shuffle around the pages.

"Aha!" Gwen folded back the paper triumphantly. "Here!" She shoved it at the boys. They peered blankly at it.

"_Get Your Daily Horoscope_…" Ben slowly read off the title.

"I studied constellation and horoscopes back when I was into magic," Gwen explained. "That metal fish… Pisces and the crabs are Cancer…" She pointed them out on the page.

Kevin and Ben stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"Don't you see? They're connected somehow, I just know it," she finished breathlessly.

"That's a pretty far stretch there," Kevin said doubtfully. Ben took the newspaper from her to gaze more closely at it.

Screams from down the street drew their attention away from Gwen's discovery.

"Oh, what now?" Ben groaned.

* * *

_**A new Ben 10: AF season is out. Yah!**_

_**It took me a long time to post this chapter. Hopefully I'll get next one up a bit sooner.**_


	6. A Tail of Tale

_**Author's Confession: I wasn't going to finish this. (guilty whimper)**_

_**After my computer died and took all my hard work with it I just couldn't get back in the groove. I'd almost finished this chapter and couldn't seem to rewrite it well enough to satisfy me. Very depressing. Fortunately, my sister found out and basically stood over my shoulder and made me finish. I feel much better now that done and hope you'll enjoy it too.

* * *

**_

"_Oh, what now?" Ben groaned.

* * *

_

A crushing wave ripped around the bend and seeped into every corner of the street, soaking scrambling pedestrians. Ben tensed as a shadow fell over the fleeing crowd. Blocking out the sun was an enormous metal mermaid with a water carafe tucked between her shoulder and chin, riding a on the currents it seemed to be creating. Ben's brain was frozen in total awe. He grasped fruitlessly for a course of action as salt-water gurgled about his ankles, while the giant wave-maker rumbled past him. He didn't think he'd see anything this huge before, save for Humongousaur – _ofcourse!_

"Humongousaur!" he cried out in realization before he'd even touched the Omnitrix. The mechanical fish-maid stopped and turned to fix its glowing red eyes on him. "Uh-oh."

Ben fumbled at his wrist desperately. "Come on…"

The mermaid hoisted the water jug higher up on her shoulder like a cannon and aimed at him.

"Ben!" He was enveloped in a purple-mana bubble not a moment too soon as water pounded over him.

Seeing that her aquatic weapon was having no effect, the mechanical being creased her attack, confused.

"Thanks, Gwen!" Ben called to his cousin as the mana shielding him receded. Kevin and Gwen sloshed towards him. Suddenly a forceful rush of water from overhead gushed down blocking his view of them.

He was knocked on his rear and managed to rise to one knee when a clicking whirl of gears drew his attention upwards. Staring down at his was the cold impressive face of his motorized enemy ready to take fire again.

"Aww, heck…" was all he managed to get out before he was slammed back into the brick buildings.

"Ben!" Gwen and Kevin moved to his aid.

An instant later they, too, joined him against the wall with two short water blasts. Groaning, the three heroes picked themselves up, removing debris from their clothes that'd washed over them from the street.

As Ben pushed the soggy newspaper off from across his face he caught sight of one of the horoscopes. _Aquarius – don't be afraid to let your ardent personality wash over other_.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he whimpered, slowly getting to his feet.

"Argh!" Kevin spat out a mouth full of water, enraged. "Flipper is seriously going down!" Ben nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Let's go." He hit the watch and finally got his transformation underway.

In seconds, Humongousaur was charging. Mammoth fists pounded the metal without leaving so much as a dent.

"Doesn't _anything_ break you?" Ben paused, not sure what to do to defeat it. He hadn't had this befuddling a rival in sometime. His opponent took advantage of his confusion and smacked him down with her finned tail.

"Unngh!" Ben smashed in a nearby building like a wreaking ball.

Gwen shot off a round of mana blasts about its head to no effect. Kevin tossed large chunks of pavement, blocking the contraption's path and stemming the water flow. The mermaid brushed them aside with ease.

Not ready to give up yet, Kevin charged straight for her. The mythical sea creature held up her water-carrying vessel like a club ready to crush the teen careening towards her.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ben lumbered forwards and wrapped his arms around attacker in a Vaxasaurian death-grip. He squeezed until he heard the popping grind of gears inside the metal shell. Hoisting the mermaid overhead, he heaved her across the beach towards the water. The scaled machinery splashed into the ocean. Electronics hissed and crackled and with one final explosion, slowly bubbled down into the depths.

"And that takes care of that!" Ben declared brushing off his enormous hands. Shrinking down from his colossal size, he turned towards his teammates with triumph.

"Uh… Ben…" Kevin was looking apprehensively over his shoulder at the water. "Ya might wanna look again…"

Ben turned around. The area where he tossed the mechanical mermaid was still bubbling, even more furiously now, and something shiny and domed shaped was rising out of the sea.

"What the…?" gawked Ben.

"That's a spaceship!" Gwen cried out recognizing the classic flying-saucer silhouette.

They watched it shoot off into the sky.

"I don't think we've be seeing the last of them," Ben said.

"Yeah…" Kevin heaved a sigh. "Let's go."

As Gwen and Kevin trudged up the beach, Ben took one more look over his shoulder towards a faint glimmer of silver in the atmosphere.

XxXxXxXxX

"_Curse those humans! They've set back my preparations by weeks!" Contents of a desk were thrown aside in frustration._

_A low hiss of disapproval signaled the presents of another in the room._

"_Don't worry my pet; our plan will come together soon enough."

* * *

_

_**End?**_

_

* * *

_


End file.
